Bachelor of Science in
Meteorology
This program prepares students for careers with the National Weather Service, the U.S. military, airlines and in broadcasting, along with the option for advanced studies.
Accurate weather forecasting can literally save lives. From hurricane hunting to severe storm prediction, meteorologists play an important role in today’s society.
Embry-Riddle’s Bachelor of Science in Meteorology program prepares students for fascinating careers in the National Weather Service, the U.S. military, commercial operations, aviation companies and broadcasting. Students may also move on to advanced studies in atmospheric sciences.
Embry-Riddle students have the unique ability to focus on aviation-related careers if desired. Students combine theory with valuable hands-on experience to ensure they’re career-ready.
Our students benefit from both direct access to experienced faculty as well as state-of-the-art weather forecasting and observational equipment, all brought together in a small class setting. Students can also complement their studies with certifications or operations-focused minors that cover a variety of topics such as airline dispatching and operations, computational mathematics, flight, defense studies, unmanned aircraft systems science, communication and broadcast media, geographic information systems, and emergency management.
Meteorology graduates depart with a deep understanding of weather analysis, data collection, forecasting, and much more. Our degree program meets the guidelines set by the American Meteorological Society (AMS), National Weather Service, and U.S. Air Force - ensuring our graduates have the professional skills necessary for immediate productivity.
Additionally, students can join co-curricular activities to enhance their college experience, with options such as the Weather Club or student chapter of the American Meteorological Society. These activities offer valuable networking opportunities at professional gatherings, including international meteorological seminars and conventions.
DETAILS
About Meteorology at the Daytona Beach, FL Campus
Students who are passionate about weather have an opportunity to study all aspects of it in the Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. As part of the program, students explore and research a variety of atmospheric challenges ranging in scale from climate change to tornadoes in our world-class meteorology lab. This lab is complete with a full broadcast studio that features the same professional graphics-generation system used at numerous local television stations throughout the country.
The Bachelor of Science in Meteorology is housed in the Department of Applied Aviation Sciences in the College of Aviation. Embry-Riddle is one of a few universities in the U.S. that offers meteorology coursework approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for use in its airline dispatcher program. Students also have the ability to pair their meteorology major with powerful operations-focused minors to give them an edge over their competition. These minors include: Communications and Broadcast Media, Airline Operations, Computational Mathematics, Geographic Information Systems, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science, and Emergency Management.
The Meteorology degree meets all American Meteorological Society guidelines for B.S. in Meteorology as well as all U.S. Office of Personnel Management (e.g., National Weather Service) Qualification Standards for a meteorologist. Graduates will be competitive for professional careers in university research, government/military weather operations, broadcasting, and private industry.
The typical first year Meteorology student will study General Education and Physical Science courses such as English composition, Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics, along with Survey of Meteorology.
Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours and can typically be attained in eight semesters. All students entering the Meteorology program must take a math placement test or show suitable advanced placement. Because many courses have prerequisites or co-requisites, students should prepare to begin the required calculus sequence and physics sequence as soon as they are eligible. All students must complete a capstone course (WX 482) during their senior year. The student must meet all requirements in the five program areas to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. These include: General Education, Program Support, Meteorology Core, Specified Electives and Open Electives.
| General Education | 38 | |
| Program Support | 14 | |
| Meteorology Core | 48 | |
| Specified Electives | 6 | |
| Open Electives | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
General Education Requirements
For a full description of Embry-Riddle General Guidelines please see the General Education section of the catalog.
| COM 122 | English Composition | 3 |
| COM 219 | Speech | 3 |
| COM 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
| CS 118 | Fundamentals of Computer Programming (preferred) | 3 |
| or EGR 115 | Introduction to Computing for Engineers | |
| MA 241 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry I | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry II | 4 |
| PS 150 | Physics for Engineers I | 3 |
| PS 160 | Physics for Engineers II | 3 |
| Lower-Level Humanities (HU 14X) | 3 | |
| Lower or Upper-Level Humanities or Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Upper-Level Humanities or Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Lower-Level Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 38 | |
Program Support Requirements
Program support courses are intended to provide foundational concepts to enhance college success or to prepare students for advanced meteorology courses.
| MA 243 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry III | 4 |
| MA 345 | Differential Equations and Matrix Methods | 4 |
| CHM 110 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 110L | General Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| PS 113L | Introductory Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| UNIV 101 | College Success | 1 |
| Total Credits | 14 | |
Meteorology Core Requirements
| GEO 215 | Introduction to Geoscience | 3 |
| WX 201 | Survey of Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 272 | Meteorological Instruments and Data Analysis | 3 |
| WX 301 | Aviation Weather | 3 |
| WX 327 | Operational Analysis and Forecasting | 3 |
| WX 367 | Thermodynamic Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 368 | Physical Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 374 | Dynamic Meteorology I | 3 |
| WX 375 | Dynamic Meteorology II | 3 |
| WX 378 | Synoptic Analysis | 3 |
| WX 381 | Climate Dynamics | 3 |
| WX 422 | Meteorological Statistics and Data Analysis | 3 |
| WX 462 | Numerical Weather Prediction | 3 |
| WX 466 | Advanced Synoptic Analysis and Forecasting | 3 |
| WX 478 | Mesoscale Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 482 | Research Methods in Meteorology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
Specified Electives
| Choose one Upper Level Specified Elective | 3 | |
CIV 417 | Air Pollution | |
GEO 310 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | |
WX 305 | Weather Support Operations | |
WX 340 | Severe Weather Field Forecasting | |
WX 361 | Global Climate Change | |
WX 365 | Satellite and Radar Weather Interpretation | |
WX 380 | Advanced Broadcast Meteorology | |
WX 399 Special Topics in Applied Meteorology | ||
WX 410 | Weather for Commercial Air Transport | |
WX 475 | Video Production | |
WX 499 Special Topics in Applied Meteorology | ||
| Choose one Lower Level or Upper Level Specified Elective | 3 | |
CIV 417 | Air Pollution | |
GEO 210 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | |
GEO 310 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | |
WX 261 | Applied Climatology | |
WX 280 | Introduction to Broadcast Meteorology | |
WX 299 Special Topics in Applied Meteorology | ||
WX 305 | Weather Support Operations | |
WX 340 | Severe Weather Field Forecasting | |
WX 361 | Global Climate Change | |
WX 365 | Satellite and Radar Weather Interpretation | |
WX 380 | Advanced Broadcast Meteorology | |
WX 399 Special Topics in Applied Meteorology | ||
WX 410 | Weather for Commercial Air Transport | |
WX 475 | Video Production | |
WX 499 Special Topics in Applied Meteorology | ||
| Total Credits | 6 | |
- *
Specified Electives allow the student more breadth in the atmospheric and geosciences.
Open Electives
| Open Electives | 14 | |
Open Electives allow the student, with the guidance of an academic advisor, to select from a wide range of possible courses, which would help prepare for their individual career path. Suggested electives include additional WX courses, AS courses, BA courses, CS courses, COM courses, MA courses, and PS courses. Students will select at least 14 credits of open electives. Students seeking graduate school in meteorology or atmospheric science should consider a minor in mathematics (applied or computational) or computer science. Students seeking to become a broadcast meteorologist should consider a minor in Communication and Broadcast Media.
Suggested Plan of Study
Students should be aware that several courses in each academic year may have prerequisites and/or co-requisites. Please check the course descriptions at the back of this catalog before registering for classes to ensure requisite sequencing.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Credits | ||
| UNIV 101 | College Success | 1 |
| COM 122 | English Composition | 3 |
| CS 118 | Fundamentals of Computer Programming | 3 |
| MA 241 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry I | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry II | 4 |
| PS 150 | Physics for Engineers I | 3 |
| CHM 110 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHM 110L | General Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| WX 201 | Survey of Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 301 | Aviation Weather | 3 |
| SS Lower Level Elective | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 31.0 | |
| Year Two | ||
| COM 219 | Speech | 3 |
| MA 243 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry III | 4 |
| MA 345 | Differential Equations and Matrix Methods | 4 |
| PS 160 | Physics for Engineers II | 3 |
| PS 113L | Introductory Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| WX 272 | Meteorological Instruments and Data Analysis | 3 |
| WX 327 | Operational Analysis and Forecasting | 3 |
| WX 367 | Thermodynamic Meteorology | 3 |
| HU 14X Humanities Elective | 3 | |
| Specified Elective | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 30.0 | |
| Year Three | ||
| COM 221 | Technical Report Writing | 3 |
| GEO 215 | Introduction to Geoscience | 3 |
| WX 368 | Physical Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 374 | Dynamic Meteorology I | 3 |
| WX 375 | Dynamic Meteorology II | 3 |
| WX 378 | Synoptic Analysis | 3 |
| Open Electives | 6 | |
| SS or HU Lower or Upper Level Elective | 3 | |
| Specified Elective | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 30.0 | |
| Year Four | ||
| WX 381 | Climate Dynamics | 3 |
| WX 422 | Meteorological Statistics and Data Analysis | 3 |
| WX 462 | Numerical Weather Prediction | 3 |
| WX 466 | Advanced Synoptic Analysis and Forecasting | 3 |
| WX 478 | Mesoscale Meteorology | 3 |
| WX 482 | Research Methods in Meteorology | 3 |
| HU/SS Upper Level Elective | 3 | |
| Open Electives | 8 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 29.0 | |
| Credits Total: | 120.0 | |
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Summary
120 Credits
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